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New world class research commissioned to find out what works to help children get back on track after abuse
We've awarded grants to fund 4 new research projects, as part of a partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Each project will make an important contribution to the evidence base and could have a significant impact on the way we work with children who have experienced abuse and neglect.
Experiencing abuse and neglect can have a long lasting impact on a child. To find out more about how to help children who have been abused get back on track, we launched a joint research call with the ESRC in July.
We asked for proposals that could help us identify:
We have now awarded funds (£700,000 contributed by the ESRC and £1 million by the NSPCC) to 4 projects, which will last between 2.5 and 4 years and start in 2017.
This project will look at whether children who have been abused can be assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder by frontline staff. It will also carry out a randomised control trial (RCT) of trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy with these children including a cost benefit analysis.
Led by: Dr John Devaney, Queen’s University Belfast
"Helping children to deal with the trauma associated with experiencing abuse and neglect starts with professionals being able to recognise the impact of these adversities on children. We are delighted to be able to work with the NSPCC and the ESRC in advancing the knowledge and understanding of how to meet children’s therapeutic needs using specialist interventions."
Dr John Devaney / Queen’s University Belfast
Drawing on data from an existing cohort study that followed over 2,000 children from birth to age 18, this study will identify the factors which make some children more vulnerable to mental and physical health issues after experiencing abuse and neglect.
This project will lay the foundations for developing a ‘risk calculator’ to help practitioners identify children who need extra support, and suggest ways we can help children become more resilient.
Led by: Dr Andrea Danese, King’s College London
"We will capitalise on a classic study of child development in order to strengthen the evidence base for clinical screening of maltreated children. We hope that results from this work will assist practitioners to deliver targeted, efficient, and cost-effective interventions. We look forward to working with NSPCC and ESRC to expedite the translation of our research for the benefit of children."
Dr Andrea Danese / King’s College London
This project will help us understand how children who experience abuse adapt to cope with early adverse environments and how these adaptations in turn may be related to risk and resilience for future mental health problems.
This work, using behavioural and brain imaging techniques, will shed light on the nature of ‘latent vulnerability’ – that is, how abuse can embed risk of future mental health problems (McCrory and Vising, 2015).
It will also provide the foundation for a larger scale study to develop a reliable, child-friendly screening tool to identify children at most risk.
Led by: Prof Eamon McCrory, UCL
"We have known for some time that abuse in childhood significantly increases risk of poor mental health across the lifespan. This NSPCC/ESRC funding stream represents a major step forward in advancing our practical understanding of how to identify and best help those children at risk of mental health problems following abuse. Thanks to this investment we should be in a much better position to offset this risk and promote resilient outcomes for those children who most need our help."
Prof Eamon McCrory / UCL
Working with young people as partners in the research process, this project will investigate the mental health needs of young people who have experienced sexual abuse in adolescence.
It will find out how to improve the way we identify and respond to these children’s needs and how we can build and support their resilience to help get their lives back on track after abuse.
The team will create practical resources to help young people affected by abuse, their parents/carers and the professionals working with them.
Led by: Dr Helen Beckett, Dr Camille Warrington and Dr Debra Allnock, University of Bedfordshire
"We are delighted to be awarded this grant, and particularly grateful for the funders’ willingness to invest in work that attempts to bring the voices of those affected by these issues into the centre of our efforts to respond to it."
Dr Helen Beckett / University of Bedfordshire
"NSPCC is delighted to be supporting top class research that will show us what help children need to get back on track after experiencing abuse."
"This programme of research will make an important contribution to the evidence base in this area, and could have a significant impact on the way service providers work with children who have experienced abuse and neglect in the future."
If you would like to find out more information about these projects, please register your interest to attend networking and information sessions by emailing researchadvice@nspcc.org.uk.
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King's College London ([2016]) Environmental risk (e-risk) longitudinal twin study. [London]: King's College London.
McCrory, E.J. and Vising (2015) The theory of latent vulnerability: reconceptualizing the link between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric disorder. Development and psychopathology 27(2): 493-505.